Does RV solar power system really work?

2020-10-12

Some people highly recommend use the solar power for RV power supply, but also a lot of people complain installing solar panel is wasting money. Does RV solar system really work?

The effect of RV solar energy is related to product quality, installation method, usage method and region.

1. Uneven product quality and lack of solar energy knowledge

The entire RV solar system contains solar modules, controllers, inverters, batteries, etc. It is more complicated to connect them together. Solar modules include single crystal and polycrystalline, controllers include MPPT, PMW, batteries include lead-acid, colloidal, and lithium batteries. Each part also involves power, voltage, current and other parameters. Most people do not have professional power knowledge. All are at a loss. The quality of solar products on the market is uneven, and ordinary consumers do not have the ability to identify them. If you buy inferior solar products, the power generation effect is poor, of course you will feel very disapponited.



2. I installed a 200W system, why is it almost no effect?

In addition to product quality, the power generation effect of the solar system is also related to whether it is installed correctly. Take a 200W RV solar system as an example. If it is our professional installation, the light will be 5 hours a day (under good light conditions. The light conditions in each area are different, and the light conditions in Miami are much better than in Alaska) It can send about 1 kWh of electricity.



But if there is no professional installation, there may be no such effect. There are two types of solar modules in series and parallel. Different connection methods have different effects. For example, series connection is simpler than parallel connection, but in the case of partial shadows, series connection has a greater impact on the overall power. Therefore, it is necessary to choose the most suitable connection method according to the specific situation. In general, in order to take into account the operation and efficiency, we will choose the same-side series connection and the opposite-side parallel connection method.



3. If a 200W solar system is installed, can the air conditioner be driven?

The power generated by the RV solar system is stored in the car battery first, rather than directly supplying electricity to the electrical appliances. Therefore, the size of the electrical appliances that can be driven has nothing to do with the size of the RV solar system, but is related to the inverter. The power of the inverter must be greater than the power of the electrical appliance for the electrical appliance to work normally. The size of the RV solar system is directly related to the power generation and the duration of the power supply. For example, in the above example, a 200W system generates one kilowatt-hour of electricity a day, and the power supply lamp (usually about 60W) is more than enough, and it can also be used for televisions, laptops, refrigerators, kettles, rice cookers and other electrical appliances. But if you want to use high-power appliances such as air conditioners (about 700W), you need to install a more powerful solar system, and of course, you must also consider the area that can be installed on the roof.

Popsail 3000W 12VDC HEAVY DUTY Inverter/Charger

4. The fuller the solar panels on the roof, the better?

In order to maximize the use of the roof area, many people hope that the solar panels on the roof are spread as full as possible. But in fact, the roof is full, without professional installation and component design, the power cannot be maximized. In addition, after the roof is full, there is no room for installation and maintenance. Stepping on the solar module will cause great damage to the module. Some unscrupulous merchants only consider selling more components without considering the subsequent consequences.

Popsail 100W flexible solar panel

Popsail 100W glass shield solar panel

5. Without solar energy, gasoline generator or large battery can also be used.

Gasoline generators and large batteries can indeed meet the demand. The disadvantage of gasoline generators is that the oil is difficult to buy and inconvenient to carry, coupled with pollution and unavoidable noise. No matter how big the battery is, the battery may run out, so charging must be limited to the camp. The RV solar-assisted power generation system allows RV travel not limited to campsite charging. Solar energy is also silent and environmentally friendly, and electricity can be generated with the sun.

Another basic function of RV solar is to protect the car battery. Normal RV travel will not be on the road all the time, and there may be an idle period for several months. If the battery is not used for a long time, it will be damaged. With the RV solar system, the battery is charged from time to time, which can protect the battery.